Beyond the likes: BN's social media stars face ballot test

MALACCA POLLS | BN has two "social media millionaires" in Malacca, namely Duyong candidate Noor Helmy Abdul Halem and Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh, who is defending Merlimau.

With seven-figure followers on social media, their chances of winning in the state election this Saturday appear high.

The question is, will that popularity or viral power truly translate onto the ballot paper? The answer is no.

In the 2021 state election, Helmy (above, right) struggled to capture Duyong, winning by a mere 200 votes in a six-cornered fight. This round, the fight appears to be a more straightforward one, where he will square off against Pakatan Harapan's DAP candidate Poo Long Suan.

DAP did show a slight increase in popular vote from 36.7 percent in the 2021 state election to 41.5 percent in the 2022 general election.

However, taking into account the votes obtained in 2021 by BN and Perikatan Nasional - who are now cooperating - Helmy appears comfortable with over 60 percent dominance - a reflection of how his social media presence will not likely play a major role in this election.

However, Harapan is expected to face challenges by fielding a DAP candidate of Chinese ethnicity in a largely predominant Malay seat. Malay voters make up 64.3 percent of the electorate in Duyong.

In the latest electoral roll, the number of eligible voters in Duyong stands at 26,528 - a 45.46 percent increase from 18,237 in the 2021 state election.

The drastic increase in voters has consequently altered the racial composition, making the area a majority Malay voter seat at 64.25 percent, compared to Chinese (29.77 percent), Indian (4.96 percent), and others (1.02 percent).

Helmy's towering social media presence

Helmy has over half a million followers on Facebook and 1.4 million followers on TikTok.

Despite not being included in the state executive council line-up, Helmy, as a content creator, has created his own magic, generating widespread interest across the country.

Helmy has scored brownie points with his followers, with "Uncle Wong" (Vong Fook Hoi, 88) and "Dak Nor" (Nor Komariah Khalid Lourdes Lio, 42) - both local residents receiving assistance from him - frequently gracing his social media platforms in video content on resolving constituency issues.

Poo, Helmy’s opponent in the state constituency, is fully aware of this and concedes the BN candidate holds an advantage. However, the DAP candidate believes in a traditional approach.

"I am more inclined to face-to-face meetings with voters, where we can listen to their suggestions and hopes in this area.

"I feel that is more important than me (gaining) popularity on social media," he was quoted as saying in a local media interview.

Akmal: Between popularity and controversy

Meanwhile, Merlimau's incumbent Akmal has seen his popularity skyrocket over the past five years, boasting 700,000 followers on Facebook and 1.1 million on TikTok. In addition to this, the Umno Youth chief's controversial comments on current issues often land him in the media spotlight.

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In the eyes of his supporters, Akmal is a champion for Malay and Islamic issues; however, opponents perceive his struggle as "biased" or merely riding on issues.

The 2021 state election saw Akmal successfully retain Umno's traditional seat with a dominant 58.4 percent of the votes, leaving Harapan (24.7 percent) and PAS (16.8 percent) far behind.

Harapan's support increased slightly in the general election a year later to 30.5 percent, but remains far behind Umno. That does not yet include the support for PAS, BN’s new partner across successive state elections.

Like many constituencies in Malacca, Merlimau has a high percentage of Malay voters (71.57 percent), compared to Chinese (16.12 percent), Indian (11.23 percent), and others (1.09 percent).

Akmal can bank on his popularity on the ground and social media to continue giving him an advantage in strengthening his "brand".

However, his opponent, Harapan’s Rahayu Hamzah, 43, better known as Ayu, said she is unfazed by the challenge of facing Akmal.

"Alhamdulillah, even though we are small, our spirit is big," said Rahayu, expressing confidence in word-of-mouth messaging among mothers and women who know her in Merlimau.

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